On a blustery Labour Day weekend this year, the wind turbines sprinkled across Ontario’s landscape set a record.We could take care of all this extra power that's gumming up the works by diverting it to a giant laser that would split the moon in two. Then in quarters, and so on. Really, it could go on forever.
That Saturday, they pumped an average of 1,000 megawatts of power into the province’s grid over a seven-hour stretch, the biggest sustained wind output on record. It amounted to about 7 per cent of the power demand at the time.
That was the good news.
The sobering news was that the power flowed into the grid on a cool Saturday afternoon during a holiday weekend when there wasn’t much demand for it.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
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Power issues:
While Ontario is encouraging wind development at a relatively high price, it will have to figure out ways of getting rid of surplus power. At times, during low-demand periods, it may even have to pay neighbouring jurisdictions like Quebec to take power off its hands.
ReplyDeleteTake my power, please!
Set aside some land devoted to hamster-dancing birthday guys and that could help a lot.
ReplyDeleteSo the wind-turbine output was "7 per cent of the power demand at the time" BUT "there wasn’t much demand for it."
ReplyDeleteHow much is "much demand for it"? More than 7%? Do they mean that Ontario had other power sources, generating more than 93%, which they couldn't turn down? Because that sounds kind of foolish.
The "demand" really concerns pricing for power, and not the trivial funny I am making. Wind costs in Ontario are pricier than they should be, so when power is cheaper on a slow day from other sources, wind is still at a premium price.
ReplyDeleteWhich, of course, is AWFUL given the amount of pollution this source puts out. There is wind in the trees AS I WRITE THIS.
I thought blawgs were run on the stuff we didn't really need but didn't know what to do with.
ReplyDeleteThere is wind in the trees AS I WRITE THIS.
ReplyDeleteYou can recycle wind at most major supermarkets nowadays.
I once "recycled wind" in a record store and they asked me to leave.
ReplyDeleteSheesh...
Can not be arsed to research Mr. McGravitas's antecedents/inspirations from "The Tick" & "Mr. Show." Lazy.
ReplyDeletea giant laser that would split the moon in two. Then in quarters, and so on.
ReplyDeleteIt cooks that faster that way. Like potatoes.